Nirmala

Nirmala

Nirmala's newest book, Meeting the Mystery, is now available on Amazon.com. And coming up is a special offer where you can get the Kindle version for free:

What is the source of the aliveness and awareness, which are fundamental to all life? What is the nature of desire, and how do our desires relate to suffering? How do we know what is true? What is the nature of belief, and how do our beliefs affect our ability to experience the deeper reality that is always here? And in the midst of these mysteries, how do we live our daily lives in the most satisfying and integrated way? Meeting the Mystery explores these questions and will help you discover new dimensions and possibilities in your life. This collection of articles and answers to questions posed by spiritual seekers is a springboard to ever deeper inquiry into the greatest mystery of all—Presence, which is who you really are.

Also included with this book are links to seven mp3 recordings of talks given by Nirmala that expand on the material in the book. These talks are not available anywhere else, and the links are found at the end of each chapter of the book.

Nirmala

I received an email with the folowing question:

I have something to ask that has confused me deeply. How are you going to respond if you happen to see a person molesting another person. Is it okay if we just let someone harm others? It seems that if we were enlightened, then we would perceive everything as one, so we would just let someone harm others without attachment.

Here is my response:

This is a common question as it is confusing to the mind when two opposite things are both true. So while it is true that everything is one thing, and there is ultimately nothing that can harm consciousness, it is also true that people can and do harm each other physically and mentally. And it is always possible to act in a situation like you describe also without attachment.

Another simple example of two opposite things being true is how the sun is still shining on a cloudy day. From where you stand, there may be thick clouds and even rain. And yet the bigger truth is that the sun is still shining above the clouds. I say it is a bigger truth as the sun shines on the entire earth, not just the clouds above your head, and the daily rising and setting of the sun is more constant and longer lasting than any particular rainstorm. However, just because it is true that the sun is still shining, that does not mean that you should go out in your bathing suit and some sunscreen to work on your tan! The rain is still real, and you may want to wear a raincoat instead.